Device for producing a tremolo effect on stringed musical instruments



May 14, 1968 J. w. WATSON 3,382,749

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A TREMOLO EFFECT ON STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed March 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR; JOHN W. WATSON ATTORNEYS May 14, 1968 1 w, WATSON 3,332,749

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A TREMOLO EFFECT ON STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed March 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR \JOHN W. WATSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,382,749 DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A TREMOLO EFFECT ON STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS John W. Watson, 403 Stevens St., Greenwood, S.C. 29646 Filed Mar. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 533,361 4 Claims. (Cl. 84-313) This invention relates to a device for producing a tremolo effect on stringed musical instruments.

Heretofore, various devices have been provided for reciprocally varying the tensions in stringed musical instruments, such as a guitar, so as to produce a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings when the musical instrument is being played. One well-known device utilizes a handle connected to a flexible tail stock carried on the guitar. When the handle is oscillated causing the tail stock to move therewith, the tension in the strings connected to the tail stock is varied producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the springs. One disadvantage of such a device is that the handle must be moved with the hand normally used in playing the guitar. Thus, the hand is not free to play the guitar.

Devices such as illustrated in Patent No. 2,893,282 granted to T. F. Searles and Patent No. 3,163,073 granted to I. F. Elmore utilize foot pedals in conjunction with a tension varying device mounted on a Hawaiian guitar for effecting changes in the tone of certain strings of the instrument. Both such devices have a cable connecting the foot pedal to the tension varying device.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for producing a tremolo effect on a stringed musical instrument which overcomes the foregoing difficulties and objections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings of a musical instrument, such as a guitar, by simple manipulations of a foot pedal.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatically operated device for producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings of a musical instrument.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a device for varying the tones of the strings of a musical instrument which leaves the players hands free for playing the instrument.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings of a musical instrument which is readily installed on the instrument.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional guitar with a device for producing a tremolo effect in the tones ofthe strings attached thereto constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on line 2--2 in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the instrument illustrated in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the foot pedal illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The drawings illustrate a device for producing a tremolo effect on a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of aligned tensioned strings extending along the instrument with one end of the strings being connected to keys carried by the instrument and the other end of the strings being connected to a movable tail stock carried on the main body of the instrument. The device includes an expansible means A which is carried by the instrument adjacent the tail stock. Means B is provided for reciprocally supplying fluid to the expansible means causing a reciprocating movement of the expansible means A. A connecting element C is carried by the expansible means for movement therewith responsive to the flow of fluid into the expansible means A. A freeend of the connecting element is connected to the movable tail stock for imparting movement fromthe expansible means to the tail stock. Thus, the tail stock is moved, varying the tension in the strings connected thereto, responsive to the movement of fluid into and out of the expansible means A producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the springs while the musical instrument is being played.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings a typical guitar is indicated at 10 having a conventional sound box 11 and neck 12 with keys 13 positioned adjacent the top of the neck. A plurality of aligned tensioned strings 14 extend along the instrument with one end of the strings being connected to the keys 13 and the other end of the strings being connected to a movable tail stock 15 carried on the sound box 11.

The tail stock 15 is connected by means of screws 16 to one end of a conventional tail plate 17. The other end of the tail plate 17 is connected through a hinged connection 18 to an anchor plate 1?. The anchor plate 19 is secured to a tail wall of the sound box 11 by means of screws 20. The tail stock 15 is a -U-shaped member having a lower horizontal leg 20 with a vertical back member 21 integral therewith, terminating in an upper forwardly extending horizontal leg 22. The lower leg 20 and a portion of the back member 21 adjacent the junction of the lower leg 20 and the back member 21 is thinner than the upper leg 22 and a portion of the back member 21 adjacent the junction of the upper leg 22 and the back member 21. Such permits the tail stock to flex below the string level when the upper leg is forced forwardly and downwardly to vary the tension in the strings 14. The vertical back member 21 has holes therein through which the strings are threaded and secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by placing a plug 23 in a loop carried on the ends of the strings.

A lever 24 is secured to the upper leg 22 of the tail stock -15 for-reciprocally depressing the tail stock 15 in order to produce a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings while the guitar is being played. The lever 24 includes a laterally extending leg 25, which is secured to an upper leg 22 of the tail stock 15 by means of aligned spaced screws 26. An arm 27 is pivotally connected to the leg 26 so that it can be pivoted away from the strings When not in use. The playing hand is used for reciprocally depressing the lever arm 27 to produce the tremolo effect. Thus, it is not free to engage the strings and in order to play the guitar while varying the tones of the strings 14, the hand must be moved back and forth from the strings 14 to the lever arm 27.

An adjustable spring 28 is carried on an outwardly protruding portion '29 of the tail plate 17, and has its upper end flush with a lower surface of the lever 24. The adjustable spring 28 includes a threaded bolt 28a extending upwardly from the protruding portion of the tail plate 17. A nut 28b is carried on the bolt and the lower end of the spring is secured to the nut by any suitable manner, such as by welding. The upper end of spring 28 is in contact with the lower side of the lever 24. Thus, by rotating the nut 28b and spring 28, the force necessary to depress the lever arm may be varied.

In the preferred embodiment, the expansible means A, which is carried by the instrument adjacent the tail stock, is a diaphragm. The diaphragm A consists of a flat metal palte 29 having a hole extending therethrough towhich a tubular fitting 30 communicates. A flexible rubber member 31 is mounted on top of the flat plate 29 and the edges of the rubber member 31 are hermetically sealed to the edges of the metal plate 29 by means of an upper frame 32 carried on the rubber member 31 and extending around the perimeter of the rubber member. Screws '33 extend through the frame 32 and the rubber member 3 1 and engage the lower metal plate 29 securing the rubber member 31, the frame 32 and metal plate 29 together. The upper frame has a rectangular opening in its center so that when fluid is forced through the tubular fitting 30 between the metal plate 29 and the rubber member 3 1, the rubber member expands to the phantom position illustrated in [FIGURE 2.

One end of the diaphragm is secured to an S-shaped bracket 34 by means of the screws 33, which extend through the metal plate 29 and frame 32. The S-shaped bracket is fixed to the tail plate 17 by screws 35. The other end of the diaphragm A has a bolt 36 extending therethrough, the end of which rests on the tail plate 17 supporting the diaphragm.

A means B is provided for reciprocally supplying fluid to the diaphragm A for causing a reciprocating movement of the diaphragm A. The means B includes an air cylinder 37 having a port 38 communicating therewith. A piston 39 is carried within the cylinder and a piston rod 40 extends through a collar 4-1 carried on the cylinder 37. The free end of the piston rod is pivotally connected to foot pedal 42 by means of a pivot joint 43. The lower end of the cylinder 37 is pivotally supported on a base plate 4 4 by means of a pivot joint 45. A lower end of the foot pedal 42 is rotatably attached to the base plate 44 by a pair of hinges 46. Thus, when pressure is exerted on the foot pedal 42 by the players foot, the foot pedal 42 is depressed causing a downward motion to be imparted to the piston 39. The piston 39 forces air out of the port '38 through a flexible tube 47 into the diaphragm A. The ends of the flexible tube 47 are equipped with coupling means so that they can be readily connected and disconnected from the air cylinder 37 and the diaphragm B. A main compression spring 48 having one end attached by screw 49 to the base plate 44 and the other end attached to a roller 50', (which rides on the lower side of I the foot pedal, causes the foot pedal 42 to be returned to its original position when pressure is removed there from. In order to adjust the pressure being exerted on the underside of .the foot pedal by the main spring 40, a tension adjusting spring 51 is connected between the end of the main spring 48, on which the roller 50 is attached, and the base plate 44. The tension adjusting spring 51 is attached to the base plate 44 by a screw 52. The screw 52 can be moved between the spaced aligned holes 53 to vary the tension exerted by spring -51.

The top 54 of the foot pedal extends forwardly so that the player can operate the foot pedal from a standing position. A roller '55 is carried adjacent the top portion of the foot pedal 42 to prevent drag on the players foot and produces a smoother motion between the players foot and the pedal 42. A small rubber stop 56 is positioned on the lower side of the foot pedal 42 to absorb the shock when the foot pedal strikes the collar 41. In order to prevent the foot pedal from slipping on the floor, the bottom of the base plate 44 has a rubber coating 57 adhered thereto. A corrugated rubber mat 58 is attached to the front edge of the base plate on which the heel of the players shoe rests.

A connecting element C is carried by the diaphragm -B for movement therewith responsive to the flow of fluid into the diaphragm A. A free-end of the connecting element is connected by a pair of screws 59' to the laterally extending leg 25 of the lever 24 which is in turn connected to the upper leg 22 of the tail stock 15. The other end of the connecting element C is hingedly connected to a horizontal plate 60 which rests on the rubber member 31 of the diaphragm A. Thus, when air is forced into the diaphragm A the rubber member 31 is expanded from the full line position to the phantom position causing the horizontal plate to be forced upward. The movement of the horizontal plate is transferred by means of the rigid connecting element C to the tail stock '15 causing the tail stock to flex forwardly loosening the tension in the strings 1'4.

In operation a player may produce a tremolo effect in the tones of the strings by reciprocally depressing the lever 24 with his playing hand. However, when he desires to produce a tremolo effect in the tones without removing his playing hand from adjacent the strings 14, he may produce such by reciprocally depressing the foot pedal 42. Such causes air to be reciprocally forced into the diaphragm to produce a reciprocating motion in the diaphragm A. The rigid connecting element C transfers the reciprocating movement from the diaphragm to the tail stock 14 producing a tremolo effect in the tones of the guitar while it is being played. 7

The apparatus, in the embodiment illustrated, reciprocally loosens the strings of the guitar .to vary the tone; however, it is within the scope of the invention to modify the apparatus so that it may be utilized to reciprocally tighten the strings on a musical instrument, such as a Hawaiian guitar. It is also within the scope of the present invention to utilize other types of expansible means, such as a cylinder with a piston therein, rather than a diaphragm.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

:1. A device for producing a tremolo effect on a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of aligned tensioned strings extending along the instrument with one end of the strings being connected .to keys carried by the instrument and the other end of the strings being connected to a movable tail stock carried on the main body of the instrument comprising: expansible means carried by said instrument adjacent said tail stock; means for reciprocally supplying fluid to said expansible means causing a reciprocating movement of said expansible means; a connecting element carried by said expansible means for movement therewith responsive to the flow of fluid into said expansible means, and a free-end of said connecting element being connected to said movable tail stock for imparting movement from said expansible means to said tail stock; whereby said tail stock is moved varying the tension in the strings connected thereto responsive to the movement of fluid into and out of said expansible means producing a tremolo effect in the tones of said strings while said musical instrument is being played.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for reciprocally supplying fluid to said expansible means includes a foot operated air pump.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said expansible means is a diaphragm and wherein said means for reciprocally supplying fluid includes, a cylinder, a port adjacent one end of said cylinder, a tube connecting said port with said diaphragm, a piston carried within said cylinder, a piston rod having one end connected to said piston, a spring biased foot pedal, said piston rod having its other end connected to said foot pedal so that reciprocating movement of said foot pedal causes said piston to reciprocally force fluid from said cylinder into said diaphragm.

4. A device for varying the tones produced by a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of aligned tensioned strings extending along the instrument with one end of the strings being connected to keys carried by the instrument and the other end of the strings being connected to a tail stock carried on the instrument comprising: an expansible means carried on said instrument adjacent said strings; means fior reciprocally supplying fluid to said expansible means causing a reciprocating movement of the expansible means; a connecting element carried by said expansible means for movement therewith responsive to the flow of fluid into said expansi'ble means, a

free-end of said connecting element being positioned adjaoent said strings for imparting movement from said ex- 6 and out of said expansible means thus varying the tones of said strings while said musical instrument is being played.

References Cited .UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,627 1 1/1938 Lohman 84-313 2,741,146 4/ 195 6 Fender 84-313 2,898,282 7/1959 Searles 84-313 3,326,072 6/ 1967 Price 843 13 FOREIGN PATENTS 326,199 3/ 1-9-30 Great Britain.

pansible means to said strings, whereby the tension in the 15 ROBERT S. WARD, JR., Primary Examiner.

strings is varied responsive to the movement of fluid into 

1. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A TREMOLO EFFECT ON A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED TENSIONED STRINGS EXTENDING ALONG THE INSTRUMENT WITH ONE END OF THE STRINGS BEING CONNECTED TO KEYS CARRIED BY THE INSTRUMENT AND THE OTHER END OF THE STRINGS BEING CONNECTED TO A MOVABLE TAIL STOCK CARRIED ON THE MAIN BODY OF THE INSTRUMENT COMPRISING: EXPANSIBLE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID INSTRUMENT ADJACENT SAID TAIL STOCK; MEANS FOR RECIPROCALLY SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS CAUSING A RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS; A CONNECTING ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF FLUID INTO SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS, AND A FREE-END OF SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE TAIL STOCK FOR IMPARTING MOVEMENT FROM SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS TO SAID TAIL STOCK; WHEREBY SAID TAIL STOCK IS MOVED VARYING THE TENSION IN THE STRINGS CONNECTED THERETO RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF FLUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS PRODUCING A TREMOLO EFFECT IN THE TONES OF SAID STRINGS WHILE SAID MUSICAL INSTRUMENT IS BEING PLAYED. 